Tent chair

ABSTRACT

The tent chair includes a folding frame supporting a folding cover, with the frame attached to a folding or portable chair. The chair has a single rearward frame bow which is radially flexible but rigid orthogonal to the lateral bow pivot axis of the chair. A series of similar bows is pivotally attached at or toward the front of the chair. The axially orthogonal rigid rearward bow supports the cover and prevents the forward bows from collapsing the cover forwardly as it is pulled taut. One use of the device is as a hunting blind, with a quick release optionally allowing the cover to be rapidly opened. Other configurations provide for use as a photography blind, a privacy shelter for camping or beach use, ice fishing, as a wheelchair or beach lounge chair cover, etc., and may have sufficient room for more than one person.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/004,415filed Dec. 21, 2007; which, in turn, is a continuation of applicationSer. No. 11/079,075 filed Mar. 15, 2005; now U.S. Pat. No. 7,311,355.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to portable, collapsibleshelters and the like. More specifically, the present inventioncomprises several embodiments of a small, folding tent or awning for oneor more persons, with the tent being temporarily or permanently attachedto a portable or mobile chair or seat. The present tent chair is usefulas a blind for hunters or wildlife photographers, as a privacy enclosurewhile camping or at the beach, and/or for other purposes where aportable enclosure or shelter combined with seating means is desired orrequired.

2. Description of the Related Art

Tents and similar lightweight, portable enclosures have been known andused for a considerable period of time for protection from the elements.Typically, such conventional tents utilize one or more poles with aseries of ropes or lines pulling the tent fabric taut outwardly from thepole(s). More recently, lightweight tents have been developed whichutilize a series of omnidirectionally flexible rods to maintain thedomed or other shape of the tent.

Hunters, campers, wildlife photographers, and others who enjoy theoutdoors also often make use of portable, lightweight chairs and seatingwhile in the field. This is particularly true of hunters andphotographers, who have occasion to remain nearly motionless for longperiods of time while awaiting the approach of game or other animals.Some form of reasonably comfortable seating is virtually essential insuch an environment.

Heretofore, hunters and wildlife photographers typically carried a blindor some form of enclosure into the field, as well as a separate chair orother seating. In response to this requirement to carry two differentand separate articles, a few combination chairs and enclosures orshelters have been developed. Some of these devices are directed for useby the outdoorsman, while others are directed to use by sportsenthusiasts and the like to protect them from the elements whilewatching an event. In some instances, chair enclosures have beendeveloped for use over strollers, wheelchairs, and similar wheeledconveyances to protect the occupant from the elements.

Most such devices tend to be relatively bulky, heavy, and/or cumbersometo erect and take down, due to their use of relatively rigid structuralmembers and/or other complexities. Moreover, they tend not to beparticularly versatile, being somewhat limited in their applications tocertain specific environments of use.

Thus, a tent chair solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present tent chair in its various embodiments includes a coversupporting system formed of one or more rearwardly deployed bows and aplurality of forwardly deployed bows. However, a single forward bow maybe used if desired, or the forward bow may be deleted for a minimalistshade or shelter. The primary rearward bow is rigidly secured to theback of the chair relative to the longitudinal or fore-aft axis of thechair when deployed, with the forward bows being pivotally secured tothe chair or to a support extending from the chair. All of the bows haverelatively wide but thin cross sections, enabling them to flex readilyin one direction, i.e., radially inwardly and outwardly, but providinggreat stiffness in the orthogonal direction, i.e., resisting bendingalong the folding axis of the assembly. This allows the coveringmaterial to be pulled taut from the back of the chair, or from the rearbow, over the forward bows without collapsing the rear bow forwardly.

The present tent chair is adaptable to a wide variety of differentenvironments, but is particularly well suited as a blind for hunters andwildlife photographers. The covering material may be formed of acamouflage material for such use, but may include windows and/or otheropenings therein for viewing, ventilation, photography, and/or shooting.A floor panel may be incorporated with the device if so desired, withthe floor optionally including an opening or openable panel thereine.g., for ice fishing and the like.

In addition to the above features, the cover may include a quick openingfeature wherein the cover and bows are biased to a closed position by abungee cord, spring, or the like, with the closed position being onlyslightly beyond a neutral position for the mechanism. A slight upwardmovement of the forwardmost bow moves the bungee past its neutral point,whereupon it draws the cover rapidly upward and rearward to quickly openthe assembly. This is particularly useful in a hunting blindconfiguration. The present tent chair may also be adapted to other typesof chairs, such as wheelchairs and beach lounge chairs in variousconfigurations.

These and other features of the present invention will become readilyapparent upon further review of the following specification anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tent chair according to the presentinvention showing the cover support bows deployed, with the cover shownin broken lines.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tent chair of FIG. 1 showing thecover support bows partially raised or retracted, with the cover inbroken lines.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tent chair of FIGS. 1 and 2 showingthe cover support bows completely retracted, with the cover in brokenlines.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tent chair of FIGS. 1 through 3showing the cover bows completely retracted and the chair in itscollapsed configuration, with a carrying and storage bag shown in brokenlines.

FIG. 5A is a detailed perspective view of the forward bow attachment andsupport structure.

FIG. 5B is a front elevational view of an alternative bow attachment andsupport structure, for use depending upon the chair configuration.

FIG. 5C is a front elevational view of another alternative bowattachment and support structure for use with yet another chairconfiguration.

FIG. 6A is a detailed perspective view of the rear bow attachment,showing the locking mechanism in its unlocked configuration.

FIG. 6B is a detailed perspective view of the rear bow attachment withthe rear bow raised and the locking mechanism in its lockedconfiguration.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the tent chair embodiment of FIGS. 1through 4 with the cover fully deployed.

FIG. 8A is a side elevation view showing the installation of theassembly as a hunting blind showing a biasing spring urging the cover toa fully deployed or fully retracted configuration, with the cover fullydeployed.

FIG. 8B is a side elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 8A, showingthe biasing spring urging the cover to its retracted configuration.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of an alternate embodiment of thepresent tent chair installed on a wheelchair.

FIG. 10A is a side elevation view of another embodiment of the presenttent chair, showing a cover deployed over a reclined beach lounge chairor the like.

FIG. 10B is a side elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 10A in whichthe backrest of the chair is raised, showing the alternative retractedconfiguration of the cover support bows and cover in broken lines.

FIG. 11A is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent tent chair, in which plural rear bows are provided and theforward bows deleted.

FIG. 11B is a detailed side elevation view of the plural rear bowattachment of the tent chair embodiment of FIG. 11A.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistentlythroughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention comprises numerous embodiments of a portable chairhaving a folding cover or enclosure retractably installed therewith. Thepresent tent chair is particularly useful as a hunting or wildlifephotography blind, but may be adapted with minor modifications to anumber of other uses as well, e.g., a privacy enclosure for camping orat the beach, as an ice fishing shelter, a tanning enclosure, aprotective cover for a the occupant of a wheelchair, a sunshade or thelike, etc.

FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate the progressive steps in folding thepresent tent chair 10 from its fully deployed state (FIG. 1) to itsfully collapsed and stored state (FIG. 4). The cover is shown in brokenlines in FIGS. 1 through 4, in order to more clearly illustrate theunderlying structure of the present device. The chair 12 may be anysuitable type of folding or portable chair, e.g., the camp chair 12illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, or other chair type, even a wheelchairor beach lounge chair as illustrated in FIGS. 9 through lob, as desired.The camp chair 12 shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 folds more compactly thanmany other types of folding chairs, with the series of diagonal andvertical legs drawing together both laterally and longitudinally to forma compact parallel bundle when folded. The tent or cover portion of thepresent invention is well adapted for folding with such a compactlyfolding chair, but may be used with other chair types which fold flat oreven with a non-folding chair, if so desired.

The camp chair 12 of FIGS. 1 through 4 includes a seating surface 14with a back support 16 extending upwardly therefrom. The edges of theseating surface 14 and back support panel 16 define the left and rightsides of the chair 12, respectively 18 and 20, with the back 16 havingan upper edge 22 from which a portion of the tent or cover structureextends. The chair 12 includes a lateral or forward bow pivot axis A1,which passes through the two laterally disposed pivot points for theforward bows of the structure, and a lateral, rearward bow pivot axis A2which passes generally along or immediately adjacent to the upper edge22 of the seat back 16. The two axes A1 and A2 are parallel to oneanother.

A single rear cover support bow 24 attaches to and extends from theupper edge 22 of the back support panel 16, from the opposite left andright sides 18 and 20 thereof. The rear bow 24 may be folded about itspivot axis A2 to compactly store the assembly, but is locked in itsvertical orientation, i.e., generally coplanar with the back panel 16 asshown in FIG. 1, by a mechanism explained further below. In addition,one or more forward cover support bows, e.g., 26 a, 26 b, 26 c, etc.,extend from laterally opposed left and right side attachment points onthe forward portion of the chair.

In the case of the chair 12 of FIGS. 1 through 4, a relatively shortforward bow support strut, respectively 28 a and 28 b, extends upwardlyfrom each forward chair arm support 30 a and 30 b. FIG. 5A provides adetail perspective view of the right side support strut 28 b, itsattachment to the chair arm support 30 b, and the pivot 32 attachingeach of the bows 26 a through 26 c to the upper end of the forward bowsupport strut 28 b. The support struts 28 a, 28 b may be inserted intothe interiors of the respective chair arm supports 30 a, 30 b andriveted in place, as shown in FIG. 5A, or may be attached in anysuitable manner to the interior or exterior of the arm supports, asdesired. The pivots 32 securing the ends of the bows 28 a, 28 b, 28 c tothe upper ends of the support struts 28 a, 28 b may be rivets, bolts,pins, crimped rings passing through holes in the ends of the bows andstruts, etc., as desired.

FIG. 5A also provides a detailed view of the configuration of theforward bows 26 a, 26 b, etc. of the present tent chair, with it beingunderstood that the rear bow 24 has an essentially identicalconfiguration. Each of the bows 24, 26 a, 26 b, etc., is formed of athin, flat length of unidirectionally flexible material, e.g., springsteel, fiberglass or plastic, etc. The bows are relatively flexibleacross their narrowest dimensions 34, with their wider dimensions 36resisting flexing thereacross. The bows 24, 26 a, etc. are oriented withtheir wider, relatively inflexible dimension 36 orthogonal to the pivotaxis A1 defined by the pivots 32, with their thinner, flexible dimension34 allowing the bows to flex, with their ends flexing together as theirrespective pivot points are drawn together as the chair 12 is folded.

The chair 12 is provided with a cover 38, which extends over the spansof the bows 24, 26 a, 26 b, 26 c, etc. (depending upon the number offorward bows provided) to conceal the chair 12 thereunder and/or concealand protect the occupant of the chair when deployed over the extendedbows. The cover 38 may be a partial cover, extending from the rear coversupport bow 24 forwardly to attach to at least one of the forward bows26 a, 26 b, etc. and partially down the sides of the bows and chair,e.g., the beach lounge chair of FIGS. 10 a and 10 b, or may be acomplete cover extending downwardly to the underlying surface S toprovide complete coverage, protection, and/or concealment, generally asshown in FIGS. 1 (in broken lines) and 7. Where a complete cover isprovided, e.g., for use as a hunting or photography blind, ice fishingshelter, etc., a floor panel 40 may also be provided, with the floorpanel 40 securing to the periphery 42 of the cover 38 by conventionalmeans (e.g., hook and loop fastener materials, zipper, snaps, ties,etc.). The floor panel 40 may further include peripheral tiedown orstake loops for anchoring it to the underlying surface S, as desired.The floor panel 40 may comprise a continuous, unbroken span of material,or may have an opening therein for ice fishing or the like, as desired.

The cover 38 is attached to and folds with the bows 24, 26 a, etc. asthey are folded or pivoted relative to the chair 12. In FIG. 1, the bowconfiguration is shown in a fully deployed state, i.e., with the cover38 completely concealing the chair 12 and its occupant, if any, and anyother equipment beneath the cover 38. However, the assembly is quicklyand easily folded for transport and storage, merely by lifting theforwardmost bow 26 a upwardly and rearwardly about its pivot axis A1.The cover is secured to the bows 24, 26 a, 26 b, etc. by conventionalsleeves or loops disposed about the interior of the cover, through whichthe bows pass. Thus, folding the forward bows upwardly and rearwardly,simultaneously draws the cover upwardly and rearwardly as well, assumingthe cover 38 is not secured to a floor panel 40 or to the underlyingsurface S.

FIG. 2 illustrates the partially folded state of the bows and cover,with the forward bows 24 a, 24 b, etc. being folded rearwardly so thatthe central span or arc of the bows lies adjacent the upper edge 22 ofthe chair back 16. The forward bows 26 a, 26 b, etc. are free to rotateor pivot about their common pivot axis A1 at all times. However, therearward bow 24 locks in its deployed position, as shown in FIG. 1, toprevent the tension of the cover 38 from pulling the rearward bow 24forward as the forward bows are deployed forwardly of the chair 12. Theaxial locking of the rearward bow 24, along with its resistance toflexing in an orientation about its pivotal axis A2, results in thecover 38 being supported well clear of the chair 12 and its occupantwhen the cover and bows are deployed as in FIGS. 1 and 7.

The locking mechanism for the rearward bow 24 is illustrated in FIGS. 6Aand 6B. While only one side or end of the rearward bow 24 is shown inFIGS. 6A and 6B, it will be understood that the opposite side or endattachment is a mirror image of that shown. It will be noted that arelatively fixed extension 44 extends upwardly beyond the rear bow pivot46. This extension 44 lies parallel and immediately adjacent to the endportion of the bow 24, which is immediately adjacent to the pivot 46. Alocking sleeve 48 is installed over the rear bow 24, and slides alongthe bow 24. When the bow 24 is erected in its upright state with the endof the bow aligned with and adjacent to the extension 44, the lockingsleeve 48 slides over the attachment or pivot end of the bow and theadjacent extension 44, to hold the bow 24 rigidly in alignment with thefixed extension 44 as shown in FIG. 6B. The rigid nature of the bow 24across its width 36, assures that the bow 24 cannot bend or flexforwardly as the cover material 38 is pulled taut when the forward bows26 a, etc. are pivoted forwardly and lowered.

Folding of the rear bow 24 is accomplished by sliding the two sleeves 48(one on each side) upwardly until they are clear of their extensions 44,thereby allowing the lower portion of the bow 24 to swivel or pivot awayfrom the extension 44. Simultaneously, the forward bows 26 a, 26 b, etc.pivot or swivel upwardly and rearwardly due to their attachment to therear bow 24 by means of the cover 38 which is attached to all of thebows 24, 26 a, 26 b, etc. This intermediate state, immediately afterbeginning to lower the rear bow 24, is shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings,with FIG. 3 illustrating the complete folding or retraction of the bowsand attached cover 38 with the chair 12 remaining deployed.

The chair 12 is folded by drawing its legs together and gathering theseat and back portions 14 and 16. The lateral flexibility of the bows24, 26 a, 26 b, etc. allows their ends to be drawn inwardly toward oneanother as their attachment points to the chair 12 are drawn closer toone another as the chair 12 is folded. The result is a relativelynarrow, elongate, compact bundle, including the cover 38 which may bepacked into a carrying and storage bag 50, generally as shown in FIG. 4.Deployment of the chair 12 and its attached tent is accomplished byreversing the above-described process.

Other types of chairs may be used with the present tent chair, asdesired. FIGS. 5B and 5C provide front elevation views of an alternativefront bow attachment configuration, for different chair types. In thecase of FIGS. 5B and 5C, the distal or outboard end 52 of the chairarmrest tube extends generally horizontally and outwardly from theremainder of the chair structure, to support an armrest thereon. As thepivot axis for the forward bow(s) 26 a and/or 26 b, 26 c, etc. islaterally disposed, the pivot 54 may be affixed into or onto the outerend 52 of the armrest tube to capture the pivot ends of the bows betweenthe head of the pivot 54 and the outer end 52 of the armrest tube.

In FIG. 5C, a detail view of the generally L-shaped bracket 56 is shown,with the base end 58 providing attachment to a generally horizontalsurface (e.g., chair arm, etc.) and the upstanding distal end 60providing for the attachment of the forward bow(s) thereto by means of apivot 62. The bracket 56 may be attached in or on any suitable componentof the chair, e.g., to the seat framework of a beach lounge chair asshown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, etc.

FIG. 7 provides a perspective view of the erected or deployed tent chair10, with the cover 38 disposed thereover. The cover 38 may have any of anumber of different configurations, e.g., an opaque, camouflage patternas shown in FIG. 7, or other opaque, translucent, or transparentconfigurations. Scent-masking and/or other scents may be applied to thedevice for hunting purposes, as well as loops and/or other attachmentfixtures for attaching natural or synthetic camouflage materials to theexterior of the cover 38.

In some instances, a brightly colored cover having high contrast andgood visibility with the surroundings may be desired, e.g., for icefishing. Alternatively, some form of identification (externally appliedsignage, banner, flag, pennant, etc.) may be attached to the cover toidentify one's particular tent chair, and/or to indicate loyalty to acertain team, sport, etc., as desired. A translucent or transparentcover may be desirable for beach use and/or tanning, to allow sunlightto enter the interior of the enclosure. It is not intended that thecover 38 for the present tent chair 10 in its various embodiments, belimited in color, transparency, porosity or imperviousness of materials(e.g., fabric, plastic, etc.) or other aspects, so long as it remains athin, flexible sheet which folds with the folding of the underlyingstructure.

It will be noted that the cover 38 of FIG. 7 includes various openingstherein. For example, the cover may include a front opening or window64, and one or more side windows or openings 66. These windows oropenings 64, 66, etc. may be provided with closure panels or flaps 68,as desired. The closure panels or flaps may comprise opaque panels toprevent light from escaping or entering, or screens to prevent theentrance of insects, etc., as desired. They may be conventionally rolledand tied within the cover 38 for storage when the windows 64, 66, etc.are opened. Other openings in the cover 38 may be provided as desired,e.g., a top opening, one or more lower openings, etc., with any and allopenings being optionally provided with some form of closure as desired.Where a relatively small volume tent chair is provided, a top openingmay be desirable to allow a hunter to stand to take a shot.

When opaque closures 68 are provided with an opaque cover 38, thepresent tent chair 10 in its various embodiments may be used as aprivacy enclosure or changing room for beach or camping use, and/or maybe equipped with a portable toilet or waste container and used as arestroom, if so desired. The spans and circumferences of the bows 24, 26a, etc., and corresponding cover 38 size, may be increased to provideadditional headroom and horizontal room as required for such purposes. Alarger unit may also be used as a two (or more) person blind, icefishing shelter, etc., as desired.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are side elevation views of yet another embodiment ofthe present tent chair, with the tent chair 68 of FIGS. 8A and 8Bincorporating a quick-open feature. The tent chair 68 includes arelatively small, partial cover or enclosure 70, just sufficiently largeas to conceal the upper body of a hunter therein. Front, side, and/orupper windows or openings 72 may be installed in the cover 70, with somemeans (e.g., zipper 74, etc.) for selectively securing the windows 72 inthe open or closed position as desired.

The tent chair 68 of FIGS. 8A and 8B includes essentially the samestructure as the tent chair 10 of FIGS. 1 through 4, i.e., a singlefolding rearward bow 24 which is locked in the upright position when thecover 70 is deployed, and one or more forwardly disposed bows 26pivotally secured to laterally opposed support struts 28. In addition,at least one (and preferably two, one on each side) resilient tensilemember 76 (e.g., metal spring, elastic bungee cord, etc.) extends from achair attachment point 78 at the lower rear portion of the chair 12 to acover attachment point 80 on the forwardmost front bow 26, somewhatabove and forward of the bow's pivotal attachment point with the supportstrut 28.

The geometry of this arrangement results in the tensile member 76passing below the pivot point of the forward bow attachment to thesupport strut, as shown in FIG. 8A, thus drawing the forward bow (andother bows) 26 generally around its pivot points and toward the rear bow24 at the back of the chair 12. The hunter in the blind may easily tipthe forwardmost bow 26 slightly upwardly, e.g., with the tip of the gunbarrel or by hand, with the tension in the tensile member 76 acting toopen the blind the rest of the way once the forwardmost bow 26 has beenmoved past its neutral position in alignment with the tensile member 76.Once the forward bow 26 is lifted so that its plane or alignment isslightly above the line of the tensile member 76, the tensile memberpulls the forward bow (and other bows) 26 upwardly and rearwardly towardthe rear bow 24, thus rapidly opening the blind or cover 70 to exposethe hunter for a quick shot from the tent chair 68.

As noted further above, the present tent chair is not restricted to aconfiguration using a conventional folding chair or camp stool. FIG. 9provides an illustration of yet another embodiment, in which a cover orenclosure 82 is provided for a wheelchair 84. In FIG. 9, a rearwardcover support bow 24 extends foldably from the upper portion 22 of theseat back 16, similarly to the installation of the rear bow tocorresponding structure of the folding chair 12 of FIGS. 1 through 3. Aseries of forwardly disposed bows 26 is pivotally attached to theforward end of each chair arm 86, and operates in essentially the samemanner as that described further above for the tent chair 10 of FIGS. 1through 3. Windows 72 and closures (e.g., zippers 74) may be providedfor the occupant, as required. The cover 82 may extend to a point closeto the underlying surface, as shown, or may be somewhat abbreviated, asin the blind cover 70 of FIGS. 8A and 8B. The wheelchair cover orenclosure 82 greatly improves the comfort of a wheelchair occupant inadverse weather conditions, assisting in keeping the occupant warm anddry in cold and wet weather.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate an additional embodiment, in which a tentcover 88 is applied to a folding beach lounge chair 90 or the like. InFIGS. 10A and 10B, the rearward cover support bow 24 extends from itspivot points at the upper edge 22 of the chair back 16, as in theattachment of the rear bow 24 to the equivalent components of thefolding chair 12 of FIGS. 1 through 3. The attachment fitting may bepermanently applied to the chair back 16, or may be a clamp-on or otherremovable fitting, as desired. The forwardly disposed bows 26 attach tothe lower portion of the chair 90 rather than to an extension from achair arm, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 3. This is because(1) such conventional lounge chairs 90 often have no arms, and (2) thelongitudinal span of the chair 90 and its cover 88 are considerablygreater than in a conventional upright chair. The attachment point 92may be a permanent component of the chair 90, or may be a bolt-on,clamp-on, or other removable fitting, e.g., similar to the bracket 56 ofFIG. 5C. Windows 72 and closures 74 may be provided in the cover 88 ifso desired, as indicated in FIG. 10A.

Conventional lounge chairs, e.g., the chair 90 when unequipped with thepresent cover 88, include adjustably positionable backs 16. It will benoted that the back 16 is angled to a considerably more uprightorientation in FIG. 10B, than its relatively flat or reclinedorientation in FIG. 10A. As the rearward bow 24 is rigidly attached tothe back portion 16 of the lounge 90, and the cover 88 extendsinelastically from the rearward bow 24 to the forwardmost of the bows26, it will be seen that some form of adjustment may be required for thelength of the cover 88 in such an embodiment. Accordingly, a forwardcover support 92 may be provided, extending from the forward edge 94 ofthe lounge chair 90 to secure to one or more of the forward bows 26. InFIG. 10 a, the support 92 is adjusted to secure the forwardmost bow 26in a relatively closed position. However, in FIG. 10B the seat back 16has been raised considerably, thereby allowing the entire cover 88 toshift forwardly. Accordingly, the strut or support 92 may be adjusted asdesired to secure to one or more of the forward bows 26, to hold theforward portion of the cover 88 open or closed as desired.Alternatively, a shorter or shallower cover may be used and/or theattachment position of the forward bows 26 to the chair 90 may beadjusted, as desired. In any event, the forward bows 26 have asufficient span to pivot upwardly and rearwardly to clear the chair back16 when folded with all bows 24 and 26 and the cover 88 folding behindthe chair 90 when deployment of the cover is not desired, as in the caseof the other tent chair embodiments described further above.

Still another embodiment of the present tent chair is illustrated inFIG. 11A, with FIG. 11B providing a detail view of the rearward bowstructure of the chair of FIG. 11A. The chair 12 of FIG. 11A isessentially the same as the chair 12 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1through 4, 8A, and 8B, having a seating surface 14 and back surface 16extending between opposite left and right sides 18 and 20, with the back16 having an upper edge 22. However, rather than being equipped with asingle rearward bow and one or more forward bows, the chair 12 of FIG.11A is provided with a single primary rearward bow 24 a with one or moresecondary bows 24 b, 24 c, 24 d, etc. pivotally extending from theprimary bow 24 a. The primary bow 24 a attaches to the rear bow lockextension 44 by means of a pivot 46, with a locking sleeve 48 securingthe primary bow 24 a in its upright position, as shown in FIGS. 6A and6B for the single rear bow structure of the embodiment of FIGS. 1through 4. However, the primary rear bow 24 a includes a secondary bowattachment pivot 96 adjacent each end thereof, immediately above theprimary bow pivot 46. The series of secondary bows 24 b, 24 c, etc. arepivotally attached to the primary bow 24 a by this secondary bow pivot96.

A cover 98 foldably extends over the rearward bow series 24 a, 24 b,etc., generally as shown in FIG. 11A when deployed. The cover 98 may berelatively abbreviated to extend from the back of the chair 12, upwardlyand over the rearward bows 24 a, 24 b, etc., with perhaps a forwardlydepending extension, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 11A. However, thecover 98 may be extended to the forward arm portion of the chair 12, ifso desired, and/or one or more forwardly disposed bows (not shown inFIG. 11A, but essentially the same as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4) may beprovided from the upper ends of the forward chair arm supports 30 a and30 b, if so desired. The cover 98 of the tent chair embodiment of FIGS.11A and 11B does not provide the coverage of most other embodiments ofthe present invention, but is well adapted to provide shade for thechair occupant at the beach or other bright, sunny location.

In conclusion, the present tent chair in its various embodimentsprovides a much-needed assembly of components to provide seatingcomfort, shelter, and/or concealment in the field in a single device.The device may be integrated with a conventional chair duringmanufacture or as a later installation, or may be removably attached toan existing conventional chair as desired. The versatility of thepresent tent chair in its various embodiments will result in a device,which will be greatly appreciated by hunters, wildlife photographers,campers, wheelchair occupants, visitors to the beach or lake, and otherswho have occasional need of sheltered seating in the outdoors.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to theembodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodimentswithin the scope of the following claims.

1. A collapsible tent seat, being a seat with a cover wherein both theseat and its cover can be collapsed for compact storage; the seat havingsides comprising laterally opposed left and right sides, andlongitudinally opposed front and back sides, plus a seating surfacebetween the sides; the collapsible tent seat comprising: constructionsuch that the tent seat is deployed for use by uncollapsing the seat toform a seating surface between spaced apart left and right sides andspaced apart front and back sides, at least the laterally opposed seatsides being “drawn-together seat sides”, and the tent seat is collapsedby drawing at least the left and right drawn-together seat sides closertogether; a flexible elongated cover support bow comprising a first bowend that is attached to the left seat side, a second bow end that isattached to the right seat side, and an elongated portion flexed as anarch from the first bow end to the second bow end, wherein the bow endsare attached to the seat such that both the seat and its cover arecollapsed for compact storage while attached together; and a coveringcomprising a flexible sheet supported by the cover support bow.
 2. Thecollapsible tent seat of claim 1, further comprising: a laterallycollapsing seat wherein the left seat side and the right seat sidecomprise the only pair of drawn-together seat sides.
 3. The collapsibletent seat of claim 1, further comprising: a radially collapsing seatwherein, as the seat is collapsed, the left and right seat sides and thefront and back seat sides are drawn closer together, and the first andsecond bow ends with them, thereby resulting in a relatively narrowcylindrically compacted elongate bundle with a correspondingly narrowedcover support bow arch.
 4. The collapsible tent seat of claim 1,wherein: the seat is a wheelchair.
 5. The collapsible tent seat of claim1, further comprising: one or more secondary cover support bowspivotally attached to the cover support bow.
 6. The collapsible tentseat of claim 1, wherein: the cover support bow comprises a thin, flatlength of unidirectionally flexible material oriented to flex in a planedescribed by the cover support bow while remaining rigid orthogonal tothe plane of the cover support bow.
 7. The collapsible tent seat ofclaim 1, wherein: the covering has a lower periphery lying closelyadjacent an underlying surface of the seat when the cover is deployed.8. The collapsible tent seat of claim 1, further comprising: a firstpivot at the first bow end attachment point, the first pivot defining afirst pivot axis in a plane described by the cover support bow, and asecond pivot at the second bow end attachment point, the second pivotdefining a second pivot axis in the plane of the cover support bow;thereby enabling the cover support bow to be pivoted around the seat. 9.The collapsible tent seat of claim 8, further comprising: a mechanism ata pivot that stops pivoting of the cover support bow at a predeterminedorientation.
 10. The collapsible tent seat of claim 9, wherein: themechanism comprises a sleeve, movable along the cover support bow andslidingly movable to lock the cover support bow at a predeterminedorientation.
 11. The collapsible tent seat of claim 8, furthercomprising: attachment of the covering to the cover support bow suchthat the covering moves with the cover support bow as it is pivoted. 12.The collapsible tent seat of claim 1, wherein a seat side comprises: abow support strut extending upward to a support bow end attachmentpoint.
 13. The collapsible tent seat of claim 12, wherein: a back seatside comprises a backrest and the bow support strut is an extension of,or is attached to, the backrest.
 14. The collapsible tent seat of claim12, wherein: a lateral seat side comprises an armrest and the bowsupport strut is an extension of, or is attached to, the armrest. 15.The collapsible tent seat of claim 1, comprising: a rearward coversupport bow and a longitudinally spaced apart forward cover support bow,each cover support bow being a flexible elongated bow comprising a firstbow end that is attached to a first one of the seat sides, a second bowend that is attached to a second seat side opposed to the first seatside, and an elongated portion flexed as an arch from the first bow endto the second bow end; wherein: the rearward cover support bow isattached proximate the rear side of the seat and arches laterallybetween rearward left and right side attachment points; and the forwardcover support bow arches laterally between forward left and right sideattachment points, each of which is longitudinally spaced forward fromtheir respective rearward left and right side attachment points.
 16. Thecollapsible tent seat of claim 15, wherein: one or more of the coversupport bows comprise a first pivot at the first support bow endattachment point, the first pivot defining a first pivot axis in a planedescribed by the cover support bow, and a second pivot at the secondsupport bow end attachment point, the second pivot defining a secondpivot axis in the plane of the cover support bow; thereby enabling thecover support bow to be pivoted around the seat.
 17. A collapsible tentseat including a seat having sides comprising laterally opposed left andright sides, longitudinally opposed front and back sides, and a flexibleseating surface between the sides; wherein the seat has a first positionin which the seating surface is deployed for use between the sides; anda second position in which the sides and the seating surface areradially collapsed, defining an axis of storage; the collapsible tentseat comprising: at least one flexible elongated cover support bow; afirst end of the cover support bow that is pivotally attached to theleft seat side at a first pivot point, and a second end of the coversupport bow that is pivotally attached to the right seat side at asecond pivot point; coaxial alignment of the first and second pivotpoints to define a common pivot axis, the pivot axis being substantiallyorthogonal to the axis of storage; a flexible elongated portion of thecover support bow, extending between the first end and the second end,having a length greater than the distance between the left and rightseat sides when the seat is uncollapsed in the first position; and acovering comprising a flexible sheet supported by the at least one coversupport bow; thereby providing a collapsible tent seat wherein, when theseat is collapsed, the bow ends are drawn closer together along with theseat sides to which they are attached.
 18. The collapsible tent seat ofclaim 17, further comprising: attachment of the covering to the coversupport bow such that the covering moves with the cover support bow. 19.The collapsible tent seat of claim 17, wherein: a seat side comprises abow support strut extending upward to a support bow end attachmentpoint; a back seat side comprises a backrest; and the bow support strutis an extension of, or is attached to, the backrest.
 20. The collapsibletent seat of claim 17, wherein: a seat side comprises a bow supportstrut extending upward to a support bow end attachment point; a lateralseat side comprises an armrest; and the bow support strut is anextension of, or is attached to, the armrest.
 21. The collapsible tentseat of claim 17, further comprising: one or more secondary coversupport bows pivotally attached to the cover support bow.
 22. Thecollapsible tent seat of claim 17, wherein: the cover support bowcomprises a thin, flat length of unidirectionally flexible materialoriented to flex in a plane described by the cover support bow whileremaining rigid orthogonal to the plane of the cover support bow. 23.The collapsible tent seat of claim 17, wherein: the covering has a lowerperiphery lying closely adjacent an underlying surface of the seat whenthe cover is deployed.
 24. A method for providing a collapsible tentseat that collapses into a compact bundle, wherein the tent seat is acollapsible seat with a cover, the seat having sides comprisinglaterally opposed left and right sides, and longitudinally opposed frontand back sides, plus a seating surface between the sides; the methodcomprising the steps of: constructing the tent seat such that: the tentseat is deployed for use by uncollapsing the seat to form a seatingsurface between spaced apart left and right sides and spaced apart frontand back sides; and the tent seat is collapsed by drawing at least theleft and right seat sides closer together while collapsing the seatingsurface therebetween; providing the cover comprising a flexible sheet asa covering, and one or more flexible elongated cover support bowssupporting the cover; constructing the cover support bow with a firstbow end, a second bow end, and an elongated portion therebetween; andattaching the first bow end to the left seat side, and attaching thesecond bow end to the right seat side such that: the elongated portionis flexed as an arch from the first bow end to the second bow end, andthe first and second bow ends move with the seat sides to which they areattached; thereby providing a collapsible tent seat wherein, when theseat is collapsed, the bow ends are drawn closer together along with theseat sides to which they are attached, thus causing the cover supportbow to flex into a more narrow arch that is thus compacted in a side toside dimension along with the seat.
 25. The method of claim 24, furthercomprising the step of: for each of the one or more cover support bows,providing a pivot at the first support bow end attachment point and apivot at the second support bow end attachment point, the first andsecond pivots being aligned with each other such that they define acommon pivot axis in a plane described by the cover support bow; therebyproviding a collapsible tent seat wherein the one or more cover supportbows can be pivoted around the seat to form a bundle that is compact inlength.